Curve Riders is a short narrative podcast of women who didn’t make the history books. Produced by Pa Ying Vang; the series presents achievements and cultural impacts of women religious. Inspired by SisterStory’s coverage “Sisters of Influence” on pinterest the podcast aims to present these stories anew with an emphasis on storytelling through writing, sound design, and music.

This episode was inspired by the viral images of the chainsaw-wielding nun; we follow the stories of women religious who have worked/are working to help the cleanup efforts of natural disasters throughout the world.

This episode is in honor of the lives of the four Sisters from the Missionaries of Charities who lost their lives in the midst of the Yemen crisis in 2016.

“Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sounds. By such means, ...awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world. If we get in touch with the suffering of the world, and are moved by that suffering, we may come forward to help the people who are suffering.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

This episode is a continuation of our journey with Sr Rita Steinhagen, CSJ. In this episode, we follow her journey in Latin America and her activism against the School of the Americas. To hear the first part of this story listen to the previous episode or visit SisterStory: https://www.sisterstory.org/story/community/bridge

It should be noted that Sr Rita also established the Stillwater House of Prayer, where other sisters can come relax, reflect, and re-energize their souls. Sr Rita along with Char Madigan helped found the St. Joseph’s House, now known as Hope Community.